Printing or stamping device with type belts

ABSTRACT

An improved stamping or printing device comprising flexible belts with type characters on their outer surfaces. The belts are also provided with projections on their inner surfaces adapted to be driven by setting wheels. The belts run over an abutment for manual pressing of selected type characters on to a sheet of paper or the like. In order to avoid having the inwardly extending projections riding over the abutment and interfering with free belt movement, the projections are arranged on restricted lineal portions of the belts and rotation of the setting wheels is likewise restricted by suitable stop means.

v Umted States Patent 1 1 1111 3,744,411 Becker July 10, 1973 [54] PRINTING R STAMPING DEVICE WITH 1,131,959 3/1915 Robbins 101/110 TYPE BELTS 5%??? 311333 a;;;&""' 15358 3 er er... [76] l ve Werner Becker, HauptStr- 2,088,009 7/1937 Me lind 101/111 Hirschhorn/Neckar, Germany 1,058,008 4/1913 Standley 101/111 X [22] Flled: June 1970 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey [211 App]. No.: 44,069 Assistant Examiner-E. M. Coven Attorney-Harris Zimmermann Foreign Application Priority Data ABSTRACT June 10, 1969 Germany P 19 29 307.3

An.1mproved stamping or pr1nt1ng devlce comprismg flexible belts with type characters on their outer sur- CCll. magi/11$:l faces The belts are also provided with projections on [58] Field no their inner surfaces adapted to be driven by setting 93 R wheels. The belts run over an abutment for manual pressing of selected type characters on to a sheet of [56] I References Cited paper or the like. In order to avoid having the inwardly extending projections riding over the abutment and in- UNITED STATES PATENTS terfering with free belt movement, the projections are RIChCSOIl arranged on restricted lineal portions of the and I rotation of t e setting wheels is likewise restricted by 9401186 11/1909 onesonul: 101/111 sultable stopmeans' 3,482,512 12/1969 Jung 101/110 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PRINTING OR STAMPING DEVICE WITH TYPE BELTS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION l. Field to which invention relates The invention relates to an adjustable printing or stamping device with endless type belts carrying type characters. The belts pass over setting wheels and over an abutment serving to support a row of type characters, for a stamping or printing operation. The printing or stamp type characters are disposed on only a restricted lineal portion of the outer surface of each belt and on their inner surfaces, thebelts carry driving projections adapted to mesh with in gaps in teeth provided in the setting wheels. I

2. The prior art I In the case of the known devices of this type the type belts have on their inner surfaces regularly spaced driving projections or lugs for being engaged by the setting wheels. In order to ensure that these lugs or projections are not stripped off on the abutment serving for supporting the selected row of type characters during the printing operation, the known devices are provided with one rotary abutment for each type belt which is provided with recesses for receiving the lugs or projections. Owing to the provision of such supporting abutments the known devices are rendered complicated and are not trouble-free in use.

Stamping devices are also known in which the type belts are smooth on their inner surfaces and which slide over a guide bridge. The setting wheels have a coating with a high coefficient of friction. In the case of these devices the type belts must be elastic in the longitudinal direction. Such devices have the disadvantage that the elastic type belts loose their elasticity and therefore become unusable.

The aim of the invention is to provide a printing and stamping device in which type belts are used which are not elastic in the longitudinal direction and therefore can be subjected to a heavy load, and in which the support of the line of characters can be carried out by means of a stationary guide bridge. 1

SUMMARY OF INVENTION This objective is achieved in accordance with the invention in that the drive projections are only arranged on a restricted lineal portion of the type belts which do not carry type and the setting wheels have abutments which cooperate with at least one abutment fixed in the housing and limit the angle of turning of the setting wheels to an extent corresponding to the length of the portion of the type belts provided with drive projections. The abutment serving to support the line of type characters is formed in a conventional manner by a stationary guide bridge extending between the side walls of the housing.

In the'case of setting wheels, which in relation to the peripheries of the type belts have a relatively large circumference, the part of each type belt provided with printing type characters can make up 70 to 80 percent of the total periphery or belt length of the type belt while the other part provided with dri'ving p rojections can make up to 30 percent of the total periphery.

This device in accordance with the invention makes possible use of very flexible type belts which, however, in the longitudinal direction are non-elastic,.that is to say not capable of expanding. The belts can be made .in a conventional manner of wear-resistant rubber or syntheticresinwith a longitudinal inlay of twisted glass fibre, polyester fibre or nylon threads. Since the driving projections are not drawn over the abutment for supporting the line of type characters to be printed, the abutment can be of very. simple construction and only a small amount of force is required in order to bring the type belts into the required position. Furthermore the type belts are only subjected to a small degree of wear and a precise setting of the stamp type characters is possible.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention the setting wheels have rotating limiting means, and may comprise curved slots which are concentric to the axis of rotation. The ends may engage a fixed strut which extends between'the side walls of the housing and through the slots in the setting wheels.

Owing to the use of the curved slot,which extends over an angle of approximately 270 or more, the respective setting wheel, which is preferably made of sheet steel, has a high degree of elasticity effective between its periphery and its hub. This elasticity is employed to tension the type belts. In the case of the completely assembled printing or stamping device the periphery of the setting wheels is not precisely coaxial in relation to the axis of rotation, because the type belts exert a tension on the elastically resilient peripheral part of the setting wheels.

The new device has particular advantages in those cases in which type belts with printing type characters and reading type characters are used, because the reading type characters are arranged in a part of each type belt in which the driving projections are also arranged. Thus it is impossible to bring the reading type characters, which are provided with a contrasting colour, unintentionally into the printing and inking position, something which would lead to the ink covering the contrasting colour of the reading type characters so that the latter could only: be read with difficulty.

Further features of the invention will appear from the claims.

LIST OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS The following description explains two embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawings in more detail.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the novel printing and stamping device with the housing side wall removed.

FIG. 2 is a view on the section line IIII of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view with the housing side wall removed, of an embodiment of the invention in which the type belts carryprinting type characters and reading type characters.

FIG. 4 is a view of the section line IVIV of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The stamp and printing device in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises five type belts l, which for one lineal portion of their peripheries carry'printing type characters 2 on their outer surfaces and on another lineal portion, of their peripheries on their inner surfaces carry driving projections 3 which fit into. gaps 4 between the teeth on the periphery of setting wheels 5 which are journalled on a pin 6 which extends between the side walls 7,8 of the stamp housing 9.

As an abutment for a line of type characters use is made of a guide bridge 10 mounted in a stationary fashion between the side walls 7,8 and the lower edges of this bridge 10 are rounded so that the type belts 1 can slide over the bridge 10 with that portion of the inner surface not provided with the projections 3. In order for the type belts 1 to be able to slide over the guide bridge 10 more readily, it may be advantageous to provide a layer of polytetrafluoroethylene on the guide bridge 10.

In order to ensure that the type belts 1 are not moved too far by the setting wheels and the driving projections 3 are not drawn over the guide bridge 10, the degree of rotation of the setting wheels 5 is limited by stops or abutments 11,12 which in the terminal positions of the setting wheels 5 abut against a stationary abutment 13. The abutments 11, 12 of the setting wheels 5 are formed by the ends ofa slot 14 which runs in a curved fashion concentrically in relation to the pin 6. The stationary abutment 13 is in the form of a pinlike strut, which extends through the curved slots 14 of the setting wheels 5 and is fixed in the housing side walls 7,8.

The curved slot 14 in the setting wheel 5 also makes it possible for the outer part of the setting wheel 5 with the teeth 4 to be capable of being shifted in relation to the pin 6 elastically for a certain amount. Each setting wheel 5, which is preferably. made of sheet steel, can hold its associated type belt 1 under tension owing to the elasticity of the wheel. This brings the substantial advantage that the type belt 1 can be made of material which is not elastic in the longitudinal direction without sacrificing tension in the type belt.

Between the setting wheels 5 and the guide bridge a setting shaft 15 is mounted in the side wall 7 so that it can slide axially. The end of the setting shaft 15 extending from the housing 9 is provided with a manually engageable setting wheel 16 or handle, while the other end of the shaft 15 carries a pinion 17 which by axial movement of the shaft 15 can be selectively brought into engagement with the teeth 4 of each setting wheel 5. This setting device enables the type belts l to be arranged with practically no clearance between them.

The setting shaft 15 is provided on its outer surface with radial grooves 18 whose number corresponds to the number of setting wheels 5. The space between the grooves 18 corresponds to the spacing between the setting wheels 5. A springloaded detent 19 is arranged to snap into the grooves 18. The detent 19 is arranged at a position adjacent to a bearing 20 carrying the setting shaft 15, the bearing 20 being mounted on the side wall In order to achieve a satisfactory mounting of the setting shaft 15, the latter is provided with a central hole 21 into which a pin 22 extends. The pin is rigidly fixed to the side wall 8 oposite the bearing 20.

With the help of the setting wheel 16 fixed to the setting shaft l5 in such a manner that relative rotation between them is not possible, the pinion 17 can be selectively brought into engagement with each setting wheel 5 by axial shifting of the setting shaft 15 and by turning the setting shaft 16 the desired type character 2 can be brought into the printing position subjacent the guide bridge or abutment 10. In the setting shaft 15 five spaced grooves 18 are provided corresponding in width to the width of the type belts 1. A springloaded ball 19 snaps into these grooves 18. This detent facilitates the bringing of the pinion 17 into engagement with the gear teeth of the individual setting wheels 5.

The housing 9 of the stamp and printing device is provided with a handle 24 and has on both sides bars 25 so that the whole device can be mounted in a machine, for example in a label or ticket printing and issuing device.

A housing wall 26 which is parallel to the type belts l carries a mirror 27 which can be shifted in a downward direction. This mirror 27 serves to facilitate the user being able to read the type characters 2. The mirror 27 is formed by a resilient sheet metal strip 28 which is guided in a suitable slot in the housing wall 26 and by means of a handle 30 can be brought into the reading position shown in dotted lines or into the retracted position shown in the figure. The sheet metal strip 28 is angled at its upper end in such a manner that a resilient detent 31 is formed which in the retracted position of the mirror 27 fits behind an abutment 32 on the housing.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 parts having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals as is the case with the embodiment in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2. The stamp and printing device is here shown as having eight type belts l which carry not only printing type characters 2 but also reading type characters 33. The first and the last printing type character 2 and first and last reading type character 33 in each case is provided with a reference numeral. The driving projections 3 are only arranged at positions adjacent to the reading type characters 33.

The construction in accordance with the invention has the further advantage that no reading type characters 33 can be brought into the printing position and inked with ink for example on a pad. Therefore the contrasting colour of the reading type characters 33 always remains readily readable and distinct from the colour of the type belt 1. It maybe advantageous to provide the reading type characters 33 with a fluorescent colour.

In order to facilitate setting of the type belts 1, at a position close to the setting wheel 16 on the setting shaft 15 a pointer 35 extending over the type belts 1 is provided. This pointer is made so that it can be moved axially with axial movement of the setting shaft but cannot be moved angularly. The tip 36 of the pointer 35 is always aligned with the type belt 1 which'is to be driven by the pinion 17 and with the reading type character 33 associated with the printing type character 2 in the printing or stamping position.

At the same level as the guide bridge 10 the stamp housing 9 may be provided with a printing plate carrier 37 which carried a printing slug carrying the samemessage independant of the position of the belts 1.

I claim: 7

1. An adjustable printing device having a plurality of endless belts disposed in adjacent relationship, each of said belts having an outer surface provided with a plurality of lineally spaced type characters extending for only one portion of the lineal extent of said belt, each of said belts having an inner surface provided with a plurality of lineally spaced projections extending for only a separate, different and distinct portion of the lineal extent of said belt, a fixed abutment with said projections in spaced relation to said abutment traversing said belts and over which the inner surfaces of said belts are adapted to slide along their length and position a type character subjacent said abutment, each said endless belt passing around a corresponding setting wheel, a setting wheel for each of said belts having an axis of rotation parallel to the length of said abutment, each said setting wheel having teeth engageable with said belt projections, means for rotating each wheel, and stop means limiting wheel rotation whereby said belt projections will remain in spaced relation to said abutment.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said device has a pair of spaced side walls, and said abutment extending between said side walls and having a lower arcuate surface over which said belts may be moved.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said type characters extend for about 70 to 80 percent of the length of said belt, and said projections extend for about 20 to 30 percent of the length of said belt.

' 4. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which each setting wheel is provided with an arcuate slot, and a fixed pin extending through said slot for limiting rotation of said wheel.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 in ,which a shaft is provided intermediate said setting wheels and said abutment, said shaft carrying a pinion thereon engageable with said teeth, said shaft being axially adjustable to selectively position said pinion in engagement with the respective wheels. I

6. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which a lineal portion of the outer surface of each belt other than the lineal portion provided with type characters is provided with a plurality of readable type characters.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which said projections are provided on that portion of the belt on which said readable typecharacters are disposed. 

1. An adjustable printing device having a plurality of endless belts disposed in adjacent relationship, each of said belts having an outer surface provided with a plurality of lineally spaced type characters extending for only one portion of the lineal extent of said belt, each of said belts having an inner surface provided with a plurality of lineally spaced projections extending for only a separate, different and distinct portion of the lineal extent of said belt, a fixed abutment with said projections in spaced relation to said abutment traversing said belts and over which the inner surfaces of said belts are adapted to slide along their length and position a type character subjacent said abutment, each said endless belt passing around a corresponding setting wheel, a setting wheel for each of said belts having an axis of rotation parallel to the length of said abutment, each said setting wheel having teeth engageable with said belt projections, means for rotating each wheel, and stop means limiting wheel rotation whereby said belt projections will remain in spaced relation to said abutment.
 2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said device has a pair of spaced side walls, and said abutment extending between said side walls and having a lower arcuate surface over which said belts may be moved.
 3. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said type characters extend for about 70 to 80 percent of the length of said belt, and said projections extend for about 20 to 30 percent of the length of said belt.
 4. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which each setting wheel is provided with an arcuate slot, and a fixed pin extending through said slot for limiting rotation of said wheel.
 5. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which a shaft is provided intermediate said setting wheels and said abutmenT, said shaft carrying a pinion thereon engageable with said teeth, said shaft being axially adjustable to selectively position said pinion in engagement with the respective wheels.
 6. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which a lineal portion of the outer surface of each belt other than the lineal portion provided with type characters is provided with a plurality of readable type characters.
 7. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which said projections are provided on that portion of the belt on which said readable type characters are disposed. 